Does love Trump all? Age gaps, such as the 24 years between the Donald and wife Melania, could spell disaster for any couple

The study, by Andrew Frances and Hugo Mialon from Emory University in Atlanta, examined the state of 3,000 people's relationships, and found some bad news for anyone with a big age gap between them and their partner.

Researchers revealed that any age gap increases the chances of you breaking up with your partner, compared to being with someone of the same age as you.

For example, a five year difference may seem insignificant, it has a substantial impact on your relationship chances, making it 18 per cent more likely that you won't go the distance.

Brand and Angelina also have a 12 year gap, but are all age gap relationships doomed to fail in the end?

However, the link between age and relationship chances could be down to other factors, one of the researchers concedes.

Hugo Mialon, one of the men behind the study, said: "It could just be that the types of couples with those characteristics are the types of couples who are, on average, more likely to divorce for other reasons."